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US cardiologist workforce from 1995 to 2007: modest growth, lasting geographic maldistribution especially in rural

Sanjay Aneja1, Joseph S Ross, Yongfei Wang

  • 1Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. sanjay.aneja@yale.edu

Health Affairs (Project Hope)
|December 8, 2011
PubMed

Insights

The US cardiology workforce grew modestly but remains geographically uneven. Many older Americans, especially in rural areas, lack sufficient access to cardiologists, impacting cardiovascular care.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Health Workforce Studies
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Access to specialized cardiology care is crucial for managing chronic cardiovascular diseases.
  • A sufficient and well-distributed cardiology workforce is essential for equitable healthcare access.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the supply and geographic distribution of cardiologists in relation to the elderly population.
  • To analyze trends in the cardiology workforce from 1995 to 2007.

Main Methods:

  • Mapped ratios of cardiologists, primary care physicians, and total physicians to the population aged 65+.
  • Analyzed data across different Hospital Referral Regions (HRRs) for 1995 and 2007.

Main Results:

  • The cardiology workforce experienced modest growth, lagging behind primary care and total physician workforces.
  • A persistent geographic maldistribution was observed, with 60% of the elderly population having access to only 38% of cardiologists.
  • Rural and socioeconomically disadvantaged areas showed a lower concentration of cardiologists.

Conclusions:

  • Significant disparities in cardiologist availability persist, particularly affecting vulnerable populations.
  • Strategies like telemedicine and economic incentives are proposed to address workforce maldistribution.
  • Improving geographic distribution is key to ensuring equitable cardiovascular care access.

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